OCCUPY West Coast Ports TODAY

[jacee]

7a.m.: Police break down their line at berths 30-32

In a surprising move, police regroup and break down their line at berths 30- 32, cheers erupt from the marching crowd.

Good. Police aren't going to go ballistic.

A lesson learned: Politicians must resist the 'orders' of the 1% to criminalize dissent.

Now the real work can start.

The most important weapons we have are truth and peace.

Edited December 12, 2011 by jacee

[Guest Derek L]

7a.m.: Police break down their line at berths 30-32

In a surprising move, police regroup and break down their line at berths 30- 32, cheers erupt from the marching crowd.

Good. Police aren't going to go ballistic.

A lesson learned: Politicians must resist the 'orders' of the 1% to criminalize dissent.

Now the real work can start.

The most important weapons we have are truth and peace.

Yup, all ~10 of them sure shut down (one of) the entrance gates to Port of Vancouver

[Guest Derek L]

In other news:

US protesters 'occupy' west coast ports

But the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents many thousands of dockers up and down the West Coast, has distanced itself from the shutdown effort.

The union's president suggested in a letter to members that protesters were attempting to co-opt the union's cause to advance their own agenda.

The anti-Wall Street protesters say they are not asking dockers to organise a work stoppage in violation of their contract but simply are asking them to exercise their free speech rights, in keeping with the union's historic tradition of activism.

Organised labour appears divided over the port shutdown effort. In Oakland, which saw strong union support for the November general strike that culminated in the closing of the port, the city's teachers union was backing Monday's action, while the county's construction workers came out against the shutdown, saying the port has provided jobs to many unemployed workers.

Even labour is opposed to these nutters……..Who are they going to piss off next?

[Guest American Woman]

Even labour is opposed to these nutters……..Who are they going to piss off next?

I have to wonder if they even know what they are doing. This, I think, sums it up pretty well:

"Protesters wanted to send a message to the 1% but they are impacting the 99%," said Portland port spokesman Josh Thomas. The stoppage is resulting in "lost shifts, lost wages and delays," he said.

Occupy protesters disrupt West Coast ports

[Guest Derek L]

I have to wonder if they even know what they are doing. This, I think, sums it up pretty well:

"Protesters wanted to send a message to the 1% but they are impacting the 99%," said Portland port spokesman Josh Thomas. The stoppage is resulting in "lost shifts, lost wages and delays," he said.

Occupy protesters disrupt West Coast ports

Exactly, as I said numerous times, in the numerous threads on the subject, these occupiers need a serious PR firm's help…..

[olp1fan]

Why are they Occupying the ports?

There's barely anybody there so why is this all over the news?

Edited December 12, 2011 by olp1fan

[Guest Derek L]

Why are they Occupying the ports?

To stick it to the man!

There's barely anybody there so why is this all over the news?

Slow news day.

[olp1fan]

Slow news day.

Crosby is out with concussion symptoms again and Canada banned veils and niqabs during Oath taking

seems like a busy news day for Canada

lol

[Guest Manny]

If you have ever read Trotsky you will know why. They are trying to use his ideas to eventually create a national strike among the working class.

[fellowtraveller]

Oh-oh.

I hope the Occupiers don't get hurt too badly by the truckers and longshoremen

[Jack Weber]

If I was a member of those unions and I was being blocked from work by a bunch of dopehead kids,I might be inclined to dish out a little frontier justice on a few of these losers...

[Guest Derek L]

Oh-oh.

I hope the Occupiers don't get hurt too badly by the truckers and longshoremen

I don’t know about in the States, but rumours abound up here that the “1%” don’t control the Port of Vancouver, but the Hells Angles……..They piss them off, and all they will be occupying is the bottom of the Fraser River…….

[dre]

If I was a member of those unions and I was being blocked from work by a bunch of dopehead kids,I might be inclined to dish out a little frontier justice on a few of these losers...

Depends. If you were a unionised worker you might have some of the same concerns that those protesters have.

[Guest American Woman]

I feel for the people who are losing wages. I doubt most of them can afford it, and I wonder how many protesters are losing a day's pay.

"I'm just barely getting on my feet again after two years, and now I gotta go a day without pay while somebody else has something to say that I'm not really sure is relevant to the cause," trucker Chuck Baca told CNN affiliate KGO.

[Guest Manny]

Depends. If you were a unionised worker you might have some of the same concerns that those protesters have.

Yeah that's what I think as well. Those workers no doubt see how they are being manipulated by the system, as we all are, to give the most to the 1%.

pretty sure some of those workers also read the news, and see headlines that the bank made more profit last year, than any other year ever in history. Among many other glaringly obvious imbalances that are a virtual kick in the crotch for those who have to work hard, every day, to make enough money to get by. It really depends on how short sighted you are.

The only reason someone chan't see what's going on today is because, they don't want to.

[dre]

I feel for the people who are losing wages. I doubt most of them can afford it, and I wonder how many protesters are losing a day's pay.

"I'm just barely getting on my feet again after two years, and now I gotta go a day without pay while somebody else has something to say that I'm not really sure is relevant to the cause," trucker Chuck Baca told CNN affiliate KGO.

Its inevitable. Almost all protest movement inconvenience people, and I dont think its that unusual to cause work stoppages.

It would be interesting to see these workers polled on some of the relevant questions though. Do they think the direction we are going is sustainable? Do they trust big government players in the financial system? Do they trust big private players in the financial system? My guess is very few of them do.

From the polling data Iv seen people dont really like the protesters very much but if you dig deep enough people share a lot of the same concerns. When the financial sector crashes the economy with an orgy of gambling those unionised workers get hurt at much as anyone else. Not to mention financial elites and government have been working together to break the backs of organized labor for the last couple of decades.

[dre]

Yeah that's what I think as well. Those workers no doubt see how they are being manipulated by the system, as we all are, to give the most to the 1%.

pretty sure some of those workers also read the news, and see headlines that the bank made more profit last year, than any other year ever in history. Among many other glaringly obvious imbalances that are a virtual kick in the crotch for those who have to work hard, every day, to make enough money to get by. It really depends on how short sighted you are.

The only reason someone chan't see what's going on today is because, they don't want to.

Yeah... Im in a similar boat myself. I see some real problems with direction we are going in, and I sympathize with some of the protesters concerns. I actually think people have some pretty good reasons to take to the streets right now. But from a short term perspective I need to keep the checks rolling in, so I guess Id be annoyed if protesters directly got in the way of my daily activity as well. I can see both sides.

[Jack Weber]

Depends. If you were a unionised worker you might have some of the same concerns that those protesters have.

I am a unionized worker and I agree with SOME of what the OCCUPY Movement says...

But I would not be a fan of these people taking at least a days pay from me.

Are they going to pay my bills??Unlikely,because most seem to be unemployed...

[dre]

I am a unionized worker and I agree with SOME of what the OCCUPY Movement says...

But I would not be a fan of these people taking at least a days pay from me.

Are they going to pay my bills??Unlikely,because most seem to be unemployed...

I understand. Just saying it cuts both ways. For example, unions themselves have cost workers a lot of missed paychecks and at times had to shut down shops and blockade factories, and sometimes use force and intimidation etc.

We had a telus strike here last year that cost me about 4 days pay. I tried to be understanding because in general I agreed with what they were fighting for. Although... after 4 days I ran the picket the line, and had scabs fix the connection at my office. Id lost a couple of thousand dollars at that point and it looked like the strike would go on for weeks. I explained my situation to the workers and they were actually pretty understanding.

Edited December 12, 2011 by dre

[cybercoma]

I feel for the people who are losing wages. I doubt most of them can afford it, and I wonder how many protesters are losing a day's pay.

"I'm just barely getting on my feet again after two years, and now I gotta go a day without pay while somebody else has something to say that I'm not really sure is relevant to the cause," trucker Chuck Baca told CNN affiliate KGO.

Yeah. You just keep worrying about the couple hours of disruption from Occupy, nevermind the people that have lost wages, their homes, and their life savings from the crooks that brought the economy to its knees. It's the protests that are causing real financial harship.

[jacee]

About 100 Occupy Vancouver protestors tied up traffic and Port Metro Vancouver as part of its ongoing crusade against inequality. ts ongoing crusade against inequality.

The occupiers said their action is “a call to stand in solidarity with the longshoremen of Longview, Wash., who are courageously fighting union-busting activities by the grain company EGT.

http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=5844822

Police say "multiple" people have been arrested after dozens of protesters blocked an entrance to a Port of Seattle facility Police cleared a road near the entrance to Terminal 18 after about 100 Occupy Seattle protesters stopped traffic for about 20 minutes Monday afternoon. But a smaller group remained in front of the terminal, effectively keeping traffic from entering or leaving. The protest snarled nearby traffic during the evening commute and caused several bus routes to be rerouted or delayed.

Protesters in Bellingham blocked railroad tracks Longshoremen at the Longview, Wash., port went home for the day, essentially shutting down the terminal after Occupy Wall Street demonstrators began protesting.

International Longshore & Warehouse Union spokeswoman Jennifer Sargent says the union sent their workers home out of concerns for their"health and safety."

Port of Longview spokesman Ashley Helenberg says the decision to shut down operations was made by both the port and the union. She says about 20 shifts were affected. The port had one vessel to work on Monday Sargent says that if union workers participated in the Occupy protest, they did so as individuals, not as part of the union. ILWU leaders have said they don't support Occupy's protest.

Vancouver, B.C., and elsewhere

Police say Occupy Wall Street demonstrators briefly blocked two gates at Port Metro Vancouver near downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. The Canadian Press reported demonstrators held up a large banner proclaiming solidarity with Longshore union members involved in a dispute at the Port of Longview, Washington.

http://www.kplu.org/post/update-arrests-occupy-protesters-target-seattle-port-longview-longshoremen-go-home

In many cities, protesters targeted terminals operated by SSA Marine, a shipping company that is locked in a labor dispute with some port truckers, and is partly owned by Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-occupy-ports-20111213,0,67827.story

Edited December 13, 2011 by jacee

[sharkman]

I am a unionized worker and I agree with SOME of what the OCCUPY Movement says...

But I would not be a fan of these people taking at least a days pay from me.

Are they going to pay my bills??Unlikely,because most seem to be unemployed...

I'm unionized too and though the occupiers do have some points, this is not helping anything.

[cybercoma]

You may be unionized, but it's wholly obvious that you're a bourgeois sympathizer.

[sharkman]

When things get bad like they were in pre-revolution France, call me.

[Guest Manny]

When things get bad like they were in pre-revolution France, call me.

Please compile a list of what made it bad, and we'll compare notes!